Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

CH. xix IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 217
. . . Here, on the eastern side of the Cordillera,
summer fairly began last month (October), but its
continuity has been interrupted for some days by a
succession of terrific thunderstorms, one of which has
caused a break of two hours in the writing of this
letter. Three days ago, two women were struck
dead by lightning while gathering sticks on the
plain
were
outside the town and ; yesterday
killed and a wheat -stack burnt
six people
down at a
village a little south from us.
. . . Matters are in a very unsettled state here,
and preparations for war with Peru resound on
every hand. Recruiting --forced contributions of
money and horses and mountains to
people hiding in
avoid being torn
the forests
from their
families scarcity and dearness of provisions such
are some of the precursors of the contest. And the
war if it actually comes will be something like
what you have read of in India; yet nobody knows
what it is to be about ! These Spanish Republics
are not unlikely to squabble among one another until
-like the Kilkenny cats there is nothing left of
them but their tails; and then Jonathan will step
in and make an easy prey of their mangled carcasses
(Hibernice loquitur).
. . . How
often have I regretted that England
did not possess the magnificent Amazon valley
instead of India! If that booby James, instead of
putting Raleigh in prison and finally cutting off
his head, had persevered in supplying him with
ships, money, and men until he had formed a permanent
establishment on one of the great American
rivers, I have no doubt but that the whole American
continent would have been at this moment in the